|
|
Vania King
© Getty Images
|
Vania King has had an outstanding career since turning pro in July 2006, winning one singles and eight doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She has posted impressive results in 2009, including reaching the mixed doubles final at the French Open, the women's doubles quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the third round in singles at the US Open. She also won doubles titles in Brisbane and Quebec City and advanced to the singles quarterfinals at Monterrey.
A 20-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., King has been writing an exclusive blog for USTA.com throughout the year as she travels to different tournaments around the world. Have a question for Vania? She will be answering questions from fans in her blogs and would love to hear from you. Please keep in mind, however, that due to her busy playing schedule she does not have time to answer all questions.
Friday, Oct. 23, 2009
Hey everyone!
I'm now writing from my uncle's home in the town where my mother grew up in, Lumbay, close to the city of Yuinin. None of the Taiwanese people who ask me seem to know where Lumbay is, since it's a small town.
I arrived in Taipei on Saturday afternoon and stayed at my dad's best friend's house for one night until my mom came Sunday evening. We then moved to a hotel that was provided by the tour my mom booked us on. I have to say that parts of the tour were amazing. We went to a place called Chiao Hsi overlooking the city and the mountains. (Almost half of Taiwan is mountainous, so you get a lot of beautiful views.) The hotel had an amazing spa -- so many different types of baths and aroma rooms. There was a pool where there were little fish that would eat the dead skin off your feet. Apparently I have a lot of dead skin! Yep, disgusting.
That day, before we went to the resort, we went up into the mountains and walked for a total of about three hours. When we got to the hotel, I went for a run (to try to maintain my fitness while in the off season), but I think the combination of my body being run down, the amount of exercise I did (also the previous two days I went hiking up the mountain, once with the tour and once with my dad's best friend), and that my mom was sick, I got sick.
At first I didn't think anything of it -- it was just a little cough -- but we had such a strenuous tour schedule (wake up at 6am, traveling on the bus through twisted mountain roads for at least three or more hours per day and my previous exhaustion) that I quickly got worse. I had a fever the third night, although the next morning I woke up feeling miles better, and a deep cough the fourth. The headaches and weakness I also attribute to homesickness, as well, since I've had headaches, tiredness and mild depression (nothing major, just so tired that even being in a place you love isn't happy for you; you just want to go home) before when I was homesick.
On the fourth day, the tour stopped in Hualien, the city where my father was born. I went to visit my grandpa there and my aunts and uncles on my father's side. We stayed in a hotel on the top of the mountain next to the city with beautiful city views. We took my uncle and two of my aunts there when they helped to drive us back, and they said they had never been to such a nice hotel.
One thing coming to Taiwan has helped me realize is that most people are not as lucky as Americans, or the social status that I am at, although I am nowhere near a high status. The public safety is much lower than in the States... you see construction workers hanging on buildings with a wooden platform and a rope or over a bridge 200 ft. high with no securing. All around, I can see evidence of the lack of public safety, people with severely burned faces, arms cut, faces bashed in, limbs missing. It makes me appreciate living in the States!
The other things I also appreciate:
Cleanliness. Yes, I know LA is not an ideal place to claim cleanliness, but at least I think in Long Beach, trees line the streets, the ocean breeze sweeps away some of the pollution, and people do make an effort to keep their homes clean. All around the cities here, wherever there are buildings clustered together, you see filth. Raised toilets: anyone who has been to Asia has seen those toilets that are basically holes in the ground. I can't stand them. And how do you expect to do some serious business in that thing??
Openness: some of my Russian friends complain that Americans are polite but not friendly, like we will say, "Hi, how are you?" without waiting for a response. However, I think that we may not be wanting to stay for an extended chat, but we do inquire through our genuine concern for others. We hug and kiss when we see people we care about. It's tough in the Chinese culture, where they don't touch each other, and even when seeing people that you haven't seen in years, they register no great emotion.
The last and final thing that makes me appreciate the U.S.: Appearances. First of all, I've noticed that most Taiwanese people are very small. I'm taller than many men here. It kind of sucks. And Chinese people have peculiar ways of defining what is beautiful. Very pale, very skinny, demure. Pluses would be to dress well, be from a good family, etc., etc. Well, the three main factors I fail at. I'm very tan, I am at times skinny, but nowhere near what the Chinese standard is (girls who are 50 kilos want to be 45 kilos; that's like 80 lbs to 72 lbs), and the last, well, I'm not even going to go there.
So I can't wait to go home! I don't need any reasons, actually. I just have had a long season and am ready to take a break.
So yesterday we took the high-speed train from Hualien to Taipei and stayed the night at my father's best friend (Uncle Lin)'s house, and today took the train from Taipei to the city near Lumbay. My uncle and grandparents picked us up from the train station. We drove back to my uncle's house, where my grandparents continuously show their love by offering food. We took a short trip to my grandparent's farm -- they used to own farmland but now just have a smaller plot of land where they grow a variety of fruits and vegetables and have chickens, as well. They used to own the large chickens that didn't fly, but they were quickly eaten by stray dogs. Now they have a smaller variety that can fly.
My grandpa is over 90 and still goes to the farm every day to check on the plants and feed the chickens. My uncle said that my grandpa and grandma love to sit in the barn and watch the chickens eat. What a simple life! All the food we ate was hand grown and fresh. It made me feel bad taking out my cookies and candies out of my purse (unfortunately, during travel, it's a staple in my purse).
I had some questions asked, which I'll answer now.
Herlindo asks: Who taught you to step in [the 2nd serve return] like that?
My father was the one who coached me up until three years ago, so all the basics I owe to him. I remember I must have been around 10 years old, and we would practice with a woman at the local courts, and my dad made us stand halfway between the service and the baseline to return her serve. It was so scary because she had a kick serve, so we never knew where it would go. From that time on, my dad would make us stand there to return all second serves, and sometimes first serves, as well.
Kimberly writes: Hi Vania, my name is Kimberly. I am 10 years old and am training to be a tennis player. When I read your blog on USTA.com, it seemed interesting! I want to know... Did you overcome any hard challenges that you don't know if you should do it or not?
Hi Kimberly! There was some difficult times, but this is normal for everyone. There is no perfect way to play and become a great tennis player. At times I did want to quit because there are sacrifices to be made, but ultimately I made the decision to continue, and I enjoy my life and my job (which is tennis) now. If you love tennis, keep playing; do something you enjoy! But stay in school ;) I was in public school until 10th grade, and then I went into homeschooling, but I think that an education is necessary no matter what.
The next time I write will probably be when I'm home, so be warned, the usage of CAPS and !!!!! may be prevalent.
Cheers!
Vania
Friday, Oct. 16, 2009
So it's been a long time since I’ve blogged... I think my last blog was sometime before the US Open. Wimbledon maybe?
OK, since Wimbledon, I was able to play directly into the main draw of most of the tournaments, which really helped me ranking-wise, since the points are much bigger in the main draw, and going through three rounds of qualifying is really tough! Not to mention you get almost no points. My ranking will finish in the 70s this year, which I am really happy about because I started the year around 130.
The two years before this year were a struggle for me, mentally, physically and emotionally, in tennis. I lost my drive to play, and the people who wanted me to play were not behind me any more. So I’m really glad I am back on the right track. I would say that the reason for that was because I made the choice to start training in Florida and kind of make a clean sweep of my tennis and mind. I was away from my family, which was difficult at times because it got lonely, but it was also fun because I learned to be myself, and I really enjoy being around my friends.
In the beginning of the year, I went to Brisbane, which is my favorite tournament, and although it was a wonderful tournament, I’m wondering if it was my favorite because it was my first time going to a tournament completely alone.(?) We will see next year, but it was awesome.
But the WTA Tour is a hard place. It is not a place for friends. Some people are just antagonistic, and others will be nice in the front but use you and slander you from behind. I guess it's kind of like women in real life, huh!? I think I’ve learned who my friends are and am understanding myself better in learning how to deal with others.
I just played my last tournament in Osaka. I’m actually writing to you from Osaka in my tiny hotel room, which for me isn’t so bad, since I’m pretty tiny, too. Which sucks by the way… my friends are always like, why do you think taller is better? Well, not even going into tennis, where you have extra long reach and extra long height, but it's just... you can see people! I go into a crowd, and I just see chests. When I’m walking with my friends, or basically most of the tennis players, I can wear three-inch platforms and almost always will still be shorter than them. Not even the same height! But, hey, if I ever got into a fight with a tall person, I could scramble through their legs and run, right?
Tomorrow I am flying to Taiwan to visit my relatives (my parents are originally from Taiwan), and my mom has arranged for us to go on a tour -- not my original plan, but she thought it was my holidays?? I can't wait to go home, anyways, but I do want to visit my grandparents, who are in Taiwan. By the way, I am half fluent in Mandarin, but I don’t speak Taiwanese (Taiwanese and Mandarin are different languages, and both are spoken in Taiwan). Basically, if I was dropped off in Taiwan or China, I wouldn’t starve, but I wouldn’t come out happily plump. I would probably get ripped off a lot, too.
After visiting Taiwan, I will go home, and I am planning to just rest there for now, but maybe I’ll take a short trip with my sisters and/or my best friend. I’m so excited that I’m going to be home for Halloween! It’s the first year in five years that I’ve been home because I’ve always been in Quebec City during that week, but this year the calendar is shorter, and the tournament in Quebec (Bell Challenge) was played in September. I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to pull off a really elaborate costume, but I still have costumes from the anime conventions that I go to. If all else fails… I can always go as a tennis player! Cheap and easy.
After Wimbledon, I went straight to World TeamTennis, which honestly could have been so fun, but I was so tired. I really did enjoy the team aspect and was happy for the team that we made the finals! But I only had a week to rest and recover before starting the summer season in LA. I think I had a pretty good summer season, culminating with a third-round finish at the US Open (my farthest result at a Grand Slam!), which I was really happy about. I love New York, by the way. I had the best time. My best friend came with me and we had so much fun. I always have a great time when I’m with her... that’s why we are best friends!
I may have pushed myself too much by going straight to Quebec City and, from Quebec City, straight to Asia because by the time I arrived in Asia, I was already ready to go home. I only had three tournaments, one of my fewest trips this year, and yet it feels like one of the longest!! I was lucky in Beijing. I lost last round of qualies but got in as a lucky loser and won a round. I had a lot of fun in Beijing. I really enjoyed being able to go out and buy the food I like at the supermarket and eat at the street vendors' stalls (none of my friends would eat with me... shocking!). It was also a combined men's and women's event, which was nice. It’s so boring to see women all the time! The same women, no less.
OK, so after my rest (I will have three whole weeks off!!!), I will go back to Florida to train at Tarik Benhabiles’s academy in Boynton Beach with my coach, Erwann LeRidant. I will have six weeks to train there before I head off to Brisbane again ;), this time with my coach, but maybe he will come a few days after me so I’ll have a few days alone... haha!
Ok, I’m going to go back to watching Xena episodes on my computer and NCIS on TV.
Cheers!
Read Vania's past blogs:
World TeamTennis
Wimbledon in London
AEGON International, Eastbourne, England
Roland Garros in Paris
Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain
Italian Open in Rome
Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C.
Back home in California
Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.
BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.
Monterrey Open in Monterrey, Mexico
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships & the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tenn.
Dow Corning Tennis Classic in Midland, Mich.